Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Labour’s manifesto on Northern Ireland could pose a dilemma for the DUP
Below is the key Northern Ireland passage from the constitutional section of Labour's newly-published manifesto. What's most interesting is the commitment to avoid a regulatory border in the Irish Sea as well as at the land frontier. This is in sharp contrast to the Conservatives' Brexit deal, which would create a sea border, something which…
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Election 2019 – Northern Ireland seats
Some pointers on the key parties and seats in Northern Ireland, where the 2019 elections raise a number of key questions: Will unionist voters stick with the DUP in the wake of Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, or punish its MPs for sustaining Johnson's Government? Can the UUP benefit from their rivals discomfiture, or are they…
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Election 2019 – useful sites
A few sites worth keeping an eye on in the coming weeks of the UK general election campaign: Democratic Dashboard – If you are a UK resident this is a good place to find tailored information on the elections in your area. UK General Election 2019 poll tracker – from the Guardian. UK Polling…
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Willie Carlin, MI5 agent-running and clandestine diplomacy in Northern Ireland
An intriguing new source on intelligence operations in Northern Ireland emerged this month with the publication of Thatcher's Spy by Willie Carlin, an MI5 agent who was active in Sinn Féin in Derry in the 1980s. I haven't yet read the book, but Carlin's interview with Sam McBride of the News Letter provoked some thoughts…
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Brexit round-up: Northern Ireland deal comes back into focus
In a deep political crisis, all possible solutions come under scrutiny until a way out emerges. After months in which the British government has rejected the EU’s demand for a Northern Ireland backstop, it’s clear that negotiations are moving towards detailed consideration of Northern Ireland specific arrangements. Here are a few of the latest developments:
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Fag-packet politics – The numbers for no-deal legislation
A quick look at the numbers for a parliamentary move to block no deal, expected tomorrow. My conclusion is that if Tory rebels turn out in the numbers anticipated, the Government will need a substantial Labour rebellion to stave off defeat. The situation is fluid, but there doesn’t seem to be much sign of that…
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Former Crucial Academy owner arrested days after Johnny Mercer joins board
We now have a definite answer to the question raised in my previous post: is Johnny Mercer a non-executive director at Crucial Academy? Mercer was appointed as a director on 3 June 2019.Curiously, this is nine months after he registered the £85,000 a year directorship with the Commons authorities, and a month after I queried…
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Is Johnny Mercer actually a non-exec at Crucial Academy?
The Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View has been in the news a lot lately as a key backbench hold-out on Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement, one who has accused the Tory whips of seeking to dig up dirt on him in order to secure his vote. However, a BBC story on Wednesday suggests that he…
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Brexit Party MEP candidate ‘s business boosted by cheap UK assets and sterling weakness
The Brexit Party has today announced former property developer Ben Habib as a candidate for the European elections. At the launch event, Habib argued for keeping a no deal Brexit on the table.Habib’s involvement is an intriguing data point for those who think a influential fraction of Brexit supporters are driven by an appetite for…
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Supreme Court strikes down Finucane inquiry
The UK Supreme Court has today ruled that the British Government has failed to meet its obligation to hold a human rights compliant inquiry into the 1989 murder of solicitor Pat Finucane. The court ruled that the De Silva review, which established substantial state collusion in the killing, did not meet this test because it…
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